Fighters are those who make their way in
the world via skill at arms and physical
exertion. Fictional Fantasy if full of all
different sorts of Fighters, from thick-hewed
axe-men to lithe fencers, and every permutation
in between and beyond. Many players want
nothing more than a character that can wield
a weapon and wield it well.

Fighters are ultimately the deadliest hand
to hand combatants in D&D, surpassing
all other Classes and even other Warrior
subclasses in sheer physical nastiness.
While other classes develop special abilities
and practice arcane arts, Fighters concentrate
on improving their fighting skills and developing
their physical abilities as an ends unto
itself.

Examples of Fighters in Fantasy Fiction
range from Karl Culinane to Wulfgar son
of Beornagar, King Arthur, and so on.

The following guidelines provide advice
on how to take D&D Fighters and convert
them into the HERO System.

Fighter Class Ability Considerations

ATTACKS PER ROUND

Some Characters and Monsters get more Attacks
per Round than others in D&D 3e, and
this bears special consideration when converting
into the HERO System.

For starters, all Characters are going to
get more "attacks per round" (or
per six seconds to be more accurate) in
the HERO System because the basic design
of the combat system revolves around twelve
second Turns in which all Characters make
at least one action, and often many more
than one.

However there are several mechanisms available
to ensure that those that have a lot of
Attacks in D&D 3e maintain their edge in
melee nonetheless.

SPEED Figured Characteristic

The most direct method of increasing one's
actions in the HERO System is to simply
buy more SPEED. However since Fantasy HERO
is a Heroic level game with Normal Characteristic
Maxima in place this can get expensive once
the Maxima has been hit. Due to the "force
multiplying" effect of SPEED, many
GM's will actively resist Character concepts
pertaining to increasing it too far.

But, if your GM is amenable, even
a single point of SPEED over the Characteristic
Maxima can give a definite edge in combat
and should be considered.

MORE ATTACKS AS SPEED OVER NCM

Killing Machine: +1 SPD (Over Characteristic
Maxima)

Real Cost:
20 points

Sweep

Sweep is an Optional Combat Maneuver which
is accessible to all Characters for free
if it is allowed at all.

Sweep allows a Character to attack multiple
opponents in HtH as long as they are within
melee range, but at a stiff to hit penalty.
To ensure superiority at it a Character
could buy several +2 OCV Combat Skill Levels
with Sweep.

MORE ATTACKS AS CSL's WITH SWEEP

Willow parted Four Times: +6 OCV
with SWEEP {allows four strikes without
penalty}

Real Cost:
12 points

NPA Autofire

Alternately, with your GM's permission,
you can buy an Autofire Naked Power Attack
(NPA) usable with any weapon of up to a
certain amount of Active Points.

This is a personal ability inherent to the
Character, and it is usable with any weapon
of the appropriate type. This will enable
your Fighter to strike multiple times with
each attack as described under Autofire.
However few GM's would permit NPA's&nbsp
taken to be applied to free Equipment; due
to their overpowering efficiency.

If their use is common place then it likely
balances out but if only a few characters
have access to such abilties (such as the
PC's for instance), it can be very unbalancing.
Check with your GM prior to taking any NPA
based ability to determine whether or not
the allow them in their campaign.

A major Class ability of Fighters in D&D
3e is that they get extra Feats at various
Class Levels, which enables Fighters to
put together Feat Chains far more easily
than Characters of most other Classes.

The Feat concept doesn't map exactly into
the HERO System, but on the other hand if
there is anything the HERO System does well
its modeling exceptional abilities. Conversion
are giving for most of the core D&D
3e Feats in the
Feat Conversion document.

Provided below are some exceptional abilities
which you also might like to consider for
your Character to further distinguish them.

Stubborn: +5 Mental Defense;
Side Effects, occurs automatically whenever
Power is used (Costs 1d6 END When Used;
-1/2)

10

Follow-through Attack: Trigger
on up to 60 Active Points of Killing Attack
(Trigger: when current opponent is killed
in battle and there is another opponent
in HtH Range attack that opponent, +1/4);
OIF (weapons of opportunity; -1/2); Costs
1 END to use;
Note: takes a Half Phase Action to "Reset
Trigger"

20

Superior Follow Through Attack:
Trigger on up to 60 Active Points of Killing
Attack (Trigger: when current opponent is
killed in battle and there is another opponent
in HtH Range attack that opponent; Activating
the Trigger requires a Zero Phase Action,
Trigger resets automatically, immediately
after it activates, Character does not control
activation of personal Trigger; +1/2) for
up to 60 Active Points (30 Active Points);
OIF (Weapon of Opportunity; -1/2); Costs
3 END to use;
Note: Trigger resets automatically after
an opponent is slain; the character has
no choice about using the ability -- if
there is an opponent in HtH range the Character
must attack them with whatever HKA based
weapon they have drawn. If the Character
does not have an HKA based weapon in hand
already the ability does not work; the GM
might allow an appropriate Fast Draw Roll
at a -4 penalty to draw a weapon so that
the Trigger can be used. If there are multiple
eligible opponents the GM can decide which
is attacked based upon events in play.

33

Opportunity Attacker: Killing
Attack - Hand-To-Hand +2d6 (vs. PD), Reduced
Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Trigger (Opponent
Attempts To Move Around / Past Character,
Activating the Trigger is an Action that
takes no time, Trigger resets automatically,
immediately after it activates; +1) (75
Active Points); Requires A DEX Roll (Active
Point penalty to Skill Roll is -1 per 20
Active Points; -3/4), OIF (Weapon of Opportunity;
-1/2)Note: Trigger resets automatically
after it is used; the character has no choice
about using the ability -- if there is an
opponent in HtH range that attempts to move
past your Character, your Character must
attack them with whatever HKA based weapon
they have drawn. If the Character does not
have an HKA based weapon in hand already
the ability does not work; the GM might
allow an appropriate Fast Draw Roll at a
-4 penalty to draw a weapon so that the
Trigger can be used.

WEAPON SPECIALIZATION

A feature unique to the Fighter (at least
originally), the ability to "specialize"
in weapons and gain to-hit and damage bonuses
with them was a significant advantage in
terms of the sheer punishment that a Fighter
could dish out with their chosen weapon
in hand. Fortunately, there are endless
variations on how to accomplish this in
the HERO System.

Combat Skill Levels

Simply buying CSL's with your attacks goes
a long way towards covering Weapon Specialization.
Don't forget that CSL's can also be converted
into extra damage as well.

WEAPON SPECIALIZATION AS CSL's

Specialized:

+4 OCV with {Weapon}

+4 HtH; Only to Convert to Damage when using
{Weapon} (-2)

Real Cost: 15 points

Weapon Art

You can buy a custom Martial Art style for
your Character's weapon of choice, granting
you interesting attack options and some
secondary benefits that are difficult to
match.

Consider the Fencer example given for Martial
Arts for ideas on how to do this for a given
weapon, and consult the Ultimate Martial
Artist by HERO Games for more details on
custom arts and maneuvers. Additionally
the
Fighter (Bladesman) and
Fighter (Swashbuckler) Packages
provided on this site make heavy use of
Weapon Arts.

The following Weapon Art serves as a basic
example:

WEAPON SPECIALIZATION AS WEAPON ART

Hack & Slash Weapon Art (Weapon
Based)

5

Hack & Slash

1/2 Phase, -2 OCV, +1 DCV, Weapon +4 DC
Strike

5

Back & Slash

1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +3 DCV, Weapon Strike

4

Parry

1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort

4

Disarm

1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, +1 DCV, Disarm; +10 STR
to Disarm roll

4

Blade Bind

1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, Bind, +10 STR

4

Escape Bind

var Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, +15 STR to escape
Bind

4

Slash-back

1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Weapon +2 DC
Strike, Must Follow Block

4

Ward off

1/2 Phase, -- OCV, +5 DCV, Dodge, Affects
All Attacks, Abort

0

Weapon Element

Weapon of Choice

2

PS: Weapon Master

2

KS: Hack & Slash Style

Real Cost: 38 points

Power Treatment

Another very viable way to depict mastery
of a weapon is to buy one or more Powers,
typically based on Hand Killing Attack (HKA),
with the Limitation OIF: {Weapon} of Opportunity.

The Variable SFX Advantage can also be applied
to allow the Character to use the attack
Power with any type of weapon.

Alternately, with GM Permission, you can
avoid the upfront cost of a HKA or Ranged
Killing Attack (RKA) Power and simply buy
Naked Power Advantages. A Fighter that could
apply Armor Piercing, Autofire x3, or Penetrating
to their attacks would be deadly indeed.

This approach is much cheaper, and some
GM's (including myself) might restrict or
deny use of this sort of ability.

A staple of many Fantasy settings, Fighters are skilled armsmen adept at the use
of martial force.

Compared to other professions they emphasize personal skill and learned techniques
backed up by physical conditioning. Fighters often rely on equipment, such as armor
and well crafted weapons and can be significantly disadvantaged if deprived of such.
Many also often call upon special skills and honed talent to pull off impressive
physical feats.

Presented below are an assortment of Basic Packages, Extension Packages, and Composite
Packages for your use.